Technique for Producing Mullite and Other Mixed-Oxide Systems

Mixed-oxide systems are of interest in a variety of technical ceramic applications. The key in many systems is to achieve a high degree of homogeneity, approaching the molecular level. A technique for producing mixed oxides via direct oxidation of mixtures of organometallic compounds is discussed as a potential route. Preliminary work performed on producing mullite is discussed.     

Selective partial oxidation of light paraffins with hydrogen peroxide on thin-layer supported Nafion-H catalysts

Thin-layer carbon supported Nafion-H catalysts were found to be active and highly selective (S>98%) for the partial oxidation of C₁-C₃ alkanes, in a three phase catalytic membrane reactor (3PCMR), under mild conditions and in the presence of H₂O₂. The influences of the catalyst teflon loading and H₂O₂ concentration on the reaction rate have been evaluated. A reaction pathway, based on the electrophilic hydroxylation of the C-H bond of alkanes with protonated hydrogen peroxide (H₃O ₂ ⁺ ), is discussed.     

The effects of induction conditions on production of a soluble antitumor sFv in Escherichia coli

CC49 is a second generation monoclonal antibody(mAb) with highaffinity to a pancarcinoma antigen, TAG-72. A single-chain Fv(sFv)ofCC49 may have a role in managing human carcinomas. Most reportedsFvs have been expressed as insoluble products that must besolubilized and renatured. Soluble sFv expression is advantageousas activity can be assayed directly from the periplasmic fraction.Also, gene-level immunoconjugates may not be amenable to refoldingprotocols. Using a vector that carries the tac promoter andomp A signal, we have examined the effects of four variableson the expression and accumulation of soluble CC49 sFv: (i)linker sequence joining VL and VH, (ii) isopropylthio-ß-D-galactosideconcentration for induction, (iii) temprature, and (iv) theaddition of nonmetabolizable sugars to the medium. We have beenable to demonstrate, using rapidly prepared periplasmic extracts,that the yield of soluble sFv improves by the addition of 0.4Msucrose to the medium and by inducing expression with a verylow concentration of IPTG (0.02–0.03 mM). Under theseinduction conditions periplasmic extracts demonstrate increasedexpression of the sFv, as shown by the larger amount of a 27kDa band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel, and an increased abilityto inhibit binding of the mAb CC49 to immobilized tumor extracts.     

Yttrium sol–gel coating effects on the cyclic oxidation behaviour of 304 stainless steel

The present results reveal the interest of sol–gel coating technique to improve 304 steel high temperature oxidation resistance. An yttrium sol–gel coating appears to enhance the oxidation resistance during isothermal oxidation test, to decrease widely the oxide weight gain and to reduce the initial transient oxidation stage generally observed in the case of blank steels. Moreover, the experimental results confirm that yttrium sol–gel coating also plays a significant role on the cyclic oxidation behaviour of the 304 steel. In fact, the yttrium addition promotes remarkably the prolongation of the period during which the oxide scale still remains adherent to the substrate.     

Photoelectrocatalytic humic acid degradation kinetics and effect of pH,applied potential and inorganic ions

This study addresses the removal of humic acid (HA) dissolved in an aqueous medium by a photoelectrocatalytic process. UV₂₅₄ removal and the degradation of color (Vis₄₀₀) followed pseudo‐first order kinetics. Rate constants were 1.1 × 10^?1 min^?1, 8.3 × 10^?2 min^?1 and 2.49 × 10^?2 min^?1 (R² > 0.97) for UV₂₅₄ degradation and 1.7 × 10^?1 min^?1, 6.5 × 10^?2 min^?1 and 2.0 × 10^?2 min^?1 for color removal from 5 mg dm^?3, 10 mg dm^?3 and 25 mg dm^?3 HA respectively. Following a 2 h irradiation time, 96% of the color, 98% of the humic acid and 85% of the total organic carbon (TOC) was removed from an initial 25 mg dm^?3 HA solution in the photoanode cell. Photocatalytic removal on the same photoanode was also studied in order to compare the two methods of degradation. Results showed that the photoelectrocatalytic method was much more effective than the photocatalytic method especially at high pH values and with respect to UV₂₅₄ removal. The effect of other important reaction variables, eg pH, external potential and electrolyte concentration, on the photoelectrocatalytic HA degradation was also studied. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

On the kinetics of the autoxidation of fats: influence of pro‐oxidants,antioxidants and synergists

The influence of minor amounts of pro‐ and anti‐oxidants on the kinetics of the autoxidation of fat has been evaluated. The reaction rates of oxygen with the substrates were found to follow the same basic equation, hitherto established for pure substrates. There is evidence that the surface of the reaction vessel also acts as a reaction catalyst and its effect is proportional to the area of glass in contact with lipids. Oxidation is enhanced by trace metal ions as well as by surface‐active compounds (e.g. hydroperoxides and sterols). Antioxidants such as α‐tocopherol and butylated hydroxyanisole inhibit the oxidation by delaying the start of oxygen consumption (the induction period) while retarders like amino acids only decrease the rate of oxidation. Thus pro‐ and anti‐ oxidants affect either the start or the rate of oxygen consumption. The empirical formula dx/dt = k [O₂] (1‐x/n) f′(t) was found applicable to the different stages of oxidation.     

Nutritional response of mature rats to kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) lectins

In a series of 10-day pair feeding experiments it was found that the nutritional value of diets containing beans was essentially the same for rats aged between 30 and 123 days. Thus net protein utilisation (NPU) values of 25–39 on diets containing Processor bean (35 g protein kg^?1) + egg albumin (65g protein kg^?1) were obtained. As food intakes were considerably reduced when rats were fed diets containing more than 35g protein kg^?1 of Processor bean, the measurement of protein utilisation became increasingly more difficult. The severe disruption of the brush borders of duodenal and jejunal enterocytes, originally observed when bean-containing diets were fed to young (30-day-old) rats was also found with rats up to the age of 120 days on similar diets. Similarly, the development of circulating anti-lectin antibodies in the animals showed no age dependence within the age limits investigated. It was also shown that oral immunisation did not protect the rats from the effects of toxicity and that the immune response was a result of continuous absorption of lectin throughout the feeding period. Thus the extent and the mechanism of toxicity of Phaseolus vulgaris bean lectins were found not to be dependent on the age or maturity of the animal.     

An integrated system of biological and catalytic oxidation for the removal of o-xylene from exhaust

Biofiltration is an efficient technology for treatment of gaseous waste. Its disadvantages, however, include large volume of bioreactor and slow adaptation to fluctuating concentrations in waste gas. Catalytic oxidation offers a high destructive efficiency at relatively low operating temperature and small unit. A bench scale system integrated with a biofilter and a catalytic oxidation unit for the treatment of gases containing o-xylene was investigated in this study. The catalytic oxidation unit was packed with Cu/Al₂O₃ catalyst. The results showed that 90% of o-xylene could be removed in the biofilter at the load below 38.2 g m⁻³ h⁻¹. High o-xylene concentration in inlet gas resulted in an overload of the biofilter. Using the Cu/Al₂O₃ catalytic oxidation unit, the concentration of o-xylene could be reduced evidently. The combination of the chemical and microbial processes not only led to a high and stable efficiency of o-xylene conversion, but also improved capacity resisting the shock loads. The Cu/Al₂O₃ was studied for o-xylene oxidation in temperature range of 90–320 °C. The o-xylene conversion was improved correspondingly with the increasing of oxidation temperature. The reaction mechanism of o-xylene oxidation on Cu/Al₂O₃ was also investigated using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS).     

Gas-phase selective oxidation of toluene on TiO2–sepiolite supported vanadium oxides: Influence of vanadium loading on conversion and product selectivities

Gas-phase selective oxidation of toluene has been carried out on vanadium oxide systems (5–20 wt.% of V₂O₅, equivalent to 0.4–1.7 theoretical monolayers) supported on TiO₂–sepiolite (with titania loading around the theoretical monolayer, 12 wt.%) and on sepiolite. A study has been made on both the influence of vanadia loading and of the support on the catalytic behaviour of the supported vanadium systems. The reducibility by H₂ TPR was also studied as well as the acid and basic/redox sites from the results of conversion of the 2-propanol test reaction of the solids. Benzaldehyde, benzoic acid and several coupling products were the main ones detected, attaining over 50% selectivity towards the benzaldehyde and benzoic acid products at a total conversion around 10%. The activity and selectivity to the selective products exhibited by vanadium systems supported on mixed support were superior to those exhibited by the systems supported on sepiolite and increased notably in both series with the increase in vanadium loading. The best catalytic behaviour exhibited by the vanadium systems supported on mixed support, which also exhibited the highest density of sites capable of being reduced (as well as their reducibility) and of those responsible for propanone formation, could be attributed not only to the different balance of the vanadia species existing in the two supports (monomeric + oligomeric/polymeric), but also to such other factors as the nature of the support and, concretely, its chemical composition.     

表面引发剂对熔融铝合金直接氧化生长的影响

为了控制熔融铝合金直接氧化法制备Al2O3/Al复合材料的氧化生长,采用ZnO,SiO2和MgO3种表面引发剂,研究它们对Al-Si-Zn合金氧化生长过程及Al2O3/Al复合材料组织形貌的影响.结果表明:与未使用引发剂时相比,使用SiO2,ZnO或MgO表面引发剂制备的粉末都能显著地缩短Al-Si-Zn合金的氧化生长孕育期,提高合金氧化生长速率,改善复合材料的胞状生长方式,提高复合材料的组织均匀度和致密度,为实际生产应用提供了依据.实验发现:ZnO表面引发剂的使用效果最为突出,其最佳添加量为12mg/cm2.